Electric igniting system.



' Q. WILLIAMS. ELECTRIC IGNITING SYSTEM. APPLIOYATION FILED AUG. 24,1906.

Patented Dec.29,1908.

IIVYENTOR. WITNESSES- 6 /ZW M M A TTOEIVEY- EDWARD Q. WILLIAMS, OFSYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

, nnnc'raro Isnrrme SYSTEM.

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Specification of Letters Patent;

:Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Application filed August 24, 1506. Serial No. 331,887. 4

To all whom itmay concern: v j Be it known that I, EDWARD Q. WILLIAMS,of Syracuse, in the county of Ononda a, in the State of New York, haveinvente new 5 and useful Improvements in Electric I niting Systems, ofwhich the following, ta en in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in electric ignitingsystems for vapor engines and analogous uses where an electric spark isused for thei nition otan explosive mixture a'nd'is usua y associatedwith an induction coil in: the sparking circuit of the gas engine. Inthe operation of this class of engines, various more or less delicatemechamsms, such as the spark coil and spark plug, carbureter or mixerand circuit make and break device are employed, all of which are activein the production and ignition of the explosive mixture, and areco-dependent one upon the otherin obtaining the degree of workingefliciency re uired of the engine, and it theretore'follows t at if anyone-of these 2'5 mechanisms fails: to. perform its function theefficient aperation of the engine is seriously impaire These mechanismsa e usually constructed and assembled in compact form in the machine andit is frequently 3Q. difficult to determine which mechanism is at faultin case the engine fails to erform its function with the degree of eciency re quired, and it is not uncommon for even the skilled attend antto overhaul several of these lii'echanisms before the trouble islocated. The essential object of my resent invention is to provide meanswhere y the attendant may more readily locate any defect in theharmonious action of said mechanisms in order that such defect may beexpeditiously removed without disturbing other parts.

The spark coil and its adjuncts, such as the vibrator or automaticcircuit breaker isperhapsfthe most ex ensive and difiicult of adjustmentand w en once constructed and adiusted to produce the desired sparkshould not be tampered with unlessfit is absolutely certain'that thefault lies in some part of its mechanism; I 1 o The essential objecttherefore of my present invention is to avoid as far as "racticable anyinterference with or overhauiing of this particular mechanism byproviding a gap and circuit closer in the sparking circuit 66 where itis readily accessible and visible to the attendant so that by breakingthe circuit at the gap he may readily determine by the spark, or absenceof such spark at the gap whether or not the spark 0011 is performmg itsfunction satisfactorily without discon- 6Q necting or otherwisedisarranging any of its parts.

If the s ark is normal at the gap it is evidence t at the coil is inperfect working condition, and that the fault, if any, lies either inthe spark plug or some of the other mechanisms, thereby materiallyreducing the time and labor of locating the fault, and saving in ameasure, the overhauling of the parts which are not at fault. 7:0

as mounte upon the head of the spark coil.

Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic view of an electric.

igniting circuit in which the current tester is similar to that shown inF g. 1, except thatit is separate from the head of the spark coil.-

It willbe observed that in each of these modifications. the ignitingcircuit is broken and provided with contact terminals at. the gap andthat a suitable circuit closer is employed to open and close theigniting circuit at such gap so that under normal working conditions thecircuit is com leted throll Lglh the testingswitch, but may e tempora ya 7 broken when testing to determine whether or not the spark coil isinperfect Working order sufficient to roduce a spark across s'ald ga Theusua method of' testing may e termed an .audible test; that is, the at-jtendant depends u on the audible explosions, or. absence vo suchexplosions in the .cylinder of the engine WlllCll requires a trainedear, particularly in the use of multi-, ple cylinder engines, becausethe numerous sounds which accompany the action of the i variousmechanisms frequently mislead the; attendant into the belief thatthefault lies in the spark coil, when in reality it may be in the sparkplug, carbureter or some. other mechanism necessary to produce theproper explosion, and for this reason I have introduced the spark gapinto the igniting circuit where it is readily accessible and .visible.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have shown a, vibrator .plate' -A- ofinsulating material carrying an ordinary vibrating armature B- and itsadjusting screw 'O which are electrically connected by wires T to asource of electric energy, as a battery .H, and to a primary winding Pof a spark coil having a' core U and secondary winding S. The battery'-H is connected by wire I to the frame of a gas'engine J- which forms,as usual, an electric connection with arevolving contact terminal L- ofa circuit closer having a fixed terminal K connected by a wire k' to oneendof the primary coil -P. The other end of said-primary coil iselectrically connected. by wire pto a binding post R, which in turn, iselectrically connected by a Wire 1 and metal frame rto the adjustingscrew -C, thereby completing, the primary circuit,

The secondary winding S of the spark coil is electrically connected inthe usual manner to a spark plug M of the gas engine J, except that thesecondary circuit 1s broken at some convenient easily accessible placeto form a spark gap, and in Fig. 1 I have shown such a break withterminals E and -F slightly se arated to form a spark gap, saidterminals eing in this in' stance,mounted upon an insulator head -A ofthe spark coil, and are associated with a switch lever D- which ismounted on the binding post -R and is electrically con" nected in thesecondary circuit and adapted to be moved into and out of contact withthe terminals -E and -F for the purpose of testing the e'lliciency ofthe spark coll.

\Nhen the lever D is in contact with the terminal .F- the secondarycircuit is .complete without a break eXce t at the terminals of thespark plug. en it is desired totest the eilieiency of the spark coil,said switch lever is thrown into contact with the terminal E which is atthis time electrically connected in the sparking circuit, leaving aspark testing gap between the terminals E- and *-F whereby the attendantmay readily determine by visual inspection whether or riot-the sparkcoil is performing its function with the required degree of efficiency.If so, it indicates that the fault, if any, lies in some of the othermechanisms, whereupon the switch lever D may be returned to its normalposition in contact with the terminal F, or it may be left in contactwith the terminal E without materially afi'ectin'g the current energy atthe spark plug.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a pair of terminals E and F- spaced apart forminga gap in the igniting circuit, and a switch lever all of which parts aresimilar to those shown in Fig. 1, except that they are not mounted onthe plate or head -A of the spark coil and may be located in anyconvenient available place in proximity to or remote from said plate,but serve the same purpose and operate in the same manner the similartester shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation for testing for faulty action in the operation of theengine, a gap is established in the i iiting circuit by throwin theswitch I) from the terminal h into contact with the terminal E,whereupon if the spark coil is erforming its function with the re uiredegree of ethciency, it is made visua ly apparent by a spark at the gapbetween the terminals E- and 'F, indicating that the fault is in some ofthe other mechanisms, whereas, if the fault is in the spark coil, ,itwill be sim larly indicated by the absence or weakness of the spark atsuch gap. If the test is satisfactorily made and the trouble located theswitch D may be returned to contact with the terminal F to re-close theigniting circuit, although as previously stated, the switch may be leftin contact with the terminal '-E without materially affecting thecurrent strength'of the spark' at the plug terminals.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a spark coil, a spark plug in circuit with thesecondary winding of the spark coil, terminals spaced apart forming anintervening spark gap, one of which is in circuit with tie secondarywinding of said coil, a switch member in electrical connection with theprimary winding and incircuit with the secondary winding of the sparkcoil and movable alternately into and out of contact with either of saidterminals whereby the secondary circuit may be opened and closed at willto test the condition of the spark coil.

2. In combination with a gas engine, a spark coil, spark terminals inthe cylinder of t e gas engine and in circuit with the secondary windingof the spark coil, additional spark terminals also in said secondarycircuit, and a switch member in said circuit movable into and out ofcontact with either of said terminals to open and close said circuit totest the condition of the coil during the action of the engine.

3. In a spark testing device for electric igniting systems, a spark coilhaving spark terminals thereon spaced apart forming an intervening sparkgap, one of said terminals being electrically connected to the secondarywinding of the coil, and a switch member in said circuit and alsomounted upon the coil and movable into and out of contact with either ofsaid-terminals.

' 4. In an electric igniting system for vapor engines, a spark coil, 'aspark plug in the secondary circuit of said 0011, and means including aswitch and contact terminals mounted on the coil, said terminals heinplaced apart forming an intervening sparli gap, and the switch beingmovable into and out of cont st with either of said terminals ll 5. Incombination with ajump sparkvcoil,

f or testing the condition of the" coil while the engine is in action. lhand this 17th day of August 1906. I

oi terminals in circuit with the secondary I I EDWARD Q. WILLIAMS.

5 winding of the sparl; coil and spaced afar-t forming an interveningspark ga pin Witnesses: electric switchin said circuit movab e into and'H'. E. CHASE, out of contact with either of said terminals. M. M.No'r'r.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 1

